The photograph above, from the book 'Seatoun of Largo' by Ivy Jardine, features the yacht 'Semiquaver' which was designed, built and sailed by brothers William and Robert Gillies. This scene of a crowd gathering, to see the impressive vessel launch, was captured around the turn of the century. There were in fact two 'Semiquavers', plus a predecessor named the 'Quaver'. The unusual names reflect the family's great love of music. In fact, they made violins as well as boats. According to 'Seatoun of Largo', the 'Quaver' had a few bars of the song 'Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep' on her starboard side and the opening bars of 'The Boatie Rows' on the port side.

Among the early mentions of the Quaver in the local newspapers, is a piece in the 7 July 1877 Fifeshire Advertiser, noting that she participated in the Kirkcaldy Annual Regatta. The six ton yacht competed in the Kirkcaldy Regatta again in 1878 before that particular event lapsed for a number of years. When revived in 1889, the Quaver returned and won first prize in its category. What ultimately became of the Quaver is unclear but in 1895 a new yacht was built by the Gillies brothers in their workshop at the east end of Main Street close to Cardy House (pictured below when reincarnated as the Gillies Art Studio in the 1980s). Named 'Semiquaver', this yacht is mentioned later in 1895 as winning the Star Cup at Aberdour Regatta.

Above is an interesting group photo taken outside the wall of Cardy House grounds circa 1900. This image is now part of the University of St Andrews Photographic Collection. There are four men with a boat behind them. No names are provided but I suspect one or more of them to be a member of the Gillies family. The bare-footed man second from right looks like he may have just been out in the boat or perhaps is about to go out in it.

It might be that the two men without jackets are William and Robert Gillies, joiners and yacht builders. Their brother was David Gillies - who constructed and owned Cardy House and the Net Factory. William and Robert had a boat named the ​Semiquaver that caused a stir whenever it was launched each summer at Largo.  More on that to come.  In the meantime if you have any information - or theories - about the men in the photo above, please comment. 

Drum Lodge on the sea-facing side of Drummochy Road dates back to the late 18th century and the days of the salt pans. Originally, there were large grounds associated with Drum Lodge (or Drummochie House as it was once known). This included extensive gardens immediately around the house (plot 36 on the 1850s feuing map below) plus 'park land' or 'meadow' to the south and east (plot 37 on the map). 

The circa 1900 photo above shows the tree-lined park/meadow in the background to the right of centre. This space was occasionally used for public events. The advert below is for an evangelical tent mission which took place in June 1901. This tent held 300 people and hosted a series of meetings which were "well filled". Mr Galletly was described in the 13 June Leven Advertiser as a "vigorous speaker" whose "addresses seldom fail to draw his hearers back again". 
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​ In 1899, Andrew Peebles had purchased Drum Lodge. He had invested in property in his native Largo for many years while working as a factor on estates in England and his interest in property development continued after he retired to Lundin Links. In 1908, the meadow owned by Peebles was feued and developed by local builder Walter Horne, who had already played a significant part in the development of Lower Largo and Lundin Links. The article below from the 21 Oct 1908 Leven Advertiser explains that the Drum Park scheme would fulfil "the great ambition of the city dweller is to have a summer holiday near the sea". 
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The execution of the scheme was slightly delayed by issues around drainage at the site. The Leven Advertiser of 13 Jan 1909 below explains that the council had some difficulties resolving the problem before agreeing to put in a new pipe on the foreshore. 

In fact what became Drum Lodge Park (later shortened to Drum Park) was built in two phases. The east half of the development came first and was ready for the summer season of 1909. The 31 March 1909 Leven Advertiser noted that:

"Mr Walter Horne is to be congratulated on his latest addition to the house property of Drummochy. On the space to the east of Drum Lodge he has erected eight very fine dwellings. The houses are situated within a few yards of the high water mark and are sure to be well let during the summer months. The mason work is completed and the houses are in such a forward state as to indicate that they will be in the pink of condition at the height of the visitors' season."

Later that year, on 17 Nov 1909, the Leven Advertiser mentions "further building being started in Drum Park" and by the summer of 1910 these additional eight houses were complete. Many of the sixteen dwellings had been purchased by Edinburgh residents. The local papers of 1910 contain lists of 'summer visitors' and most of the Drum Park properties were filled by families from either the capital city or from Glasgow. 

The postcard image below shows only the east half of the scheme in place (comprising eight dwellings). Further below is a photograph showing the whole development soon after completion. Finally, there is a more recent image that shows Drum Park largely unchanged since its early days, aside from a few minor alterations to dormer windows and extra reinforcement of sea defences. 

It was clearly a 'scorcher' on the day that this postcard image was captured. In fact, even the sender of the postcard remarked (upon their August 1955 stay) that they were "having a lovely time here - weather perfect." Simple pleasures were the order of the day. Bringing out a deck chair to have a sit in the sun, enjoying the sea view, paddling in the sea or burying yourself in sand. More in the next post on the origins of these terraced houses.

The above photograph was taken around 1910 by David McIntosh Rollo, a Cupar solicitor. It appeared in the 1911 Fife News Almanac. Below is the same image lined up with a similar view from recent times. David Rollo would have been around 43 years of age when he captured this image of some boating activity on the foreshore in front of White Cottage or thereabouts. Note the different appearance of the Crusoe Hotel in the background.

Rollo was a prominent figure in Cupar in the first half of the last century. A bailie and Justice of the Peace, he died in 1948 at the age of 81. As well as an amateur photographer, he was an avid bee-keeper who was secretary and treasurer of the Scottish Beekeepers Association for 28 years (Dundee Courier 6 December 1948). There is a photo of Rollo at the foot of this post, taken in 1935 at Montrave at a Scottish Beekeepers event (from 1936 Fife News Almanac).

Once known as 'East House', the last house at the east end of the Temple has undergone significant alterations over the years. Above is a painting from the mid-1960s by Derek Hansen showing the house in a transition phase - between the original traditional weaver's cottage of the mid-1800s and the extended modern home that it is now (see below). The 1960s version of the house had already seen a series of windows added to the east-facing gable end. Originally, there were no windows on the east side - as can be seen in the John Blair paintings of circa 1910 further below.
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The above pair of images show the east end of The Temple circa 1900 (above) and 2019 (below). The scene is largely unchanged - bar the alterations to a number of the buildings and the lack of boats at this end of the beach these days. However, evidence does remain to this day of the use of the sandy gap between the rocks by fishermen. Below is a close up of an old mooring ring (in foreground).

Maps of this area show the narrow but useful gap between rock strata in line with the end of The Temple - showing why boats were once a common feature here. 
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​The houses in the centre above, with the red roofs can be dated to 1857. The building named 'Seabrae' has the inscription shown below. 

The location in the above photograph is most commonly known as The Orry, or sometimes Orra. However, this name is seldom seen in an official written form. There is no name sign there and it tends not to be labelled on maps. It is most often referred to in the spoken word and that has led to fairly wide variation over the years in its spelling.

Although the name probably goes back to at least the 19th century, early written mentions are few and far between. Back in 1939, when the location was designated as a "regulation parking place" by the District Council (see 5 Aug Fife Free Press notice below), the spelling was given as "Awry". 

Now here is a coincidence (pointed out by a blog reader yesterday) the owner of the Eaglesham estate from 1844 was none other than Allan Gilmour, who went on to purchase the Lundin Estate in 1872. Although, Allan Gilmour was not involved in a hands-on capacity locally, his son John was (before and after he inherited Lundin estate). Could Sir John Gilmour (and/or any employees brought over from the Eaglesham estate) have introduced the term 'Orry' to the local population? Or was it already in use in Largo by 1872 (evolving independently from the Scots 'aurrie')? If you know of a reference locally to 'Orry' before 1872 - please comment.

Meanwhile, the local variation in spelling continued over the decades. In 1959, when plans were being formulated for the Sailing Club, the Leven Mail went with the spelling 'Orrey' (see below).
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Once the days of the Largo Children's Gala came - with the regular parade commencing at the Orry - references to the spot became more common in the newspapers. Below are clips from 1975, 1982 and 1983 and all use the name 'Orra'. Orra is a well-known Scots word meaning either 'spare', 'odd' or 'occasional' - with an 'orraman' being an odd job man. It's tempting to think of the space as somewhere historically that odd jobs were carried out. 

However, by 1984 the spelling 'Orrie' was being used instead (see advert below featuring Crusoe from that year). It was still used in 1993 - see further below.
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This street map from 1996 - perhaps the most official reference among this selection - favoured the label 'The Orra'.

To complicate matters further, another name used for the space has been 'Market Square'. The above snippet from the 20 August 1938 Fife Free Press describes how a driver (presumably having picked up speed coming down Durham Wynd) collided with the telephone box at the Orry. The phone box in question is marked on the map below as TCB (telephone call box). Anyway, the 'Market Square' name (connected with fish markets perhaps) seems not to have stuck.
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So, what you do call the Orry? And how would you spell it? Have you heard stories about the origins of the term? Any information would be most welcome. To conclude this lengthy post - an image of The Orry from the beach, looking towards Goodsir House plus a crowd-filled Orry back in 1975 - eagerly awaiting the start of the Gala parade (courtesy of the East Fife Mail).
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The "iron bridge" footbridge at Lundin Links (seen in the photograph above to the left of centre in the distance) was built in 1896. This was the same year as the opening of the new Lundin Golf Club House (read more about that here and here). Built for the convenience of the golfers and completed in time for the summer season, the bridge allowed easier access to the building from the east side. Previously, safe access was only from Golf Road to the west.

At the time, Lundin Mill only extended as far south as Crescent Road but feuing plans were underway to develop what would become Victoria Road and Station Road (now Links Road). The 1893 map below shows the spot chosen for the bridge. Handily placed for the residents of (and visitors to) Lundin Mill, Drummochy and Lower Largo, the feus around this area were soon occupied. Non-golfers obviously benefited too from the safer access to the beach.

The 1912 map further below, shows the footbridge now situated between Norvil on the right and Victoria Boarding House to the left. Norvil in particular was planned and built just months after the footbridge was erected. This was probably no coincidence, as Norvil was built for seedsman William Watt - a keen golfer (more of that another time). Further below are a series of images featuring the iron bridge, including (at the very end) a still from cine footage taken from the train driver's cab shortly before the line closed in 1965, The road bridge at the top of Drummochy Road can be seen in the distance to the left. Sadly the footbridge was removed in the early 1970s but many still refer to the vicinity around the steps down to the path were it once stood as "the iron bridge".
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Finally, a few shots from the present day of the spot where the old bridge once stood.

For many a decade Largo had its own band. The above image (dated 1890 but possibly a few years later) shows the Largo Silver and Brass Band in uniform (reproduced from the book 'Seatoun of Largo' by Ivy Jardine). An article written about this particular incarnation of the local band appeared in the 29 August 1908 St Andrews Citizen. This piece stated that the band was established "25 years ago" suggesting an 1883 start date. It went on to say that they made their debut on the New Year's Day after their inception and since then had never missed a New Year's Day performance. However, a search through the newspaper archives reveals that earlier bands had come and gone before that 1883 date.

In 1839, the "Largo and Lundin Mill Instrumental Band" played at an Old Handsel Monday soiree organised by the "Largo and Lundin Mill Total Abstinence Society" in the "wareroom" at the spinning mill. The band are mentioned frequently in the 1840s and 1850s including the lacklustre review in the Fife Herald of 15 May 1856 below, where "the attendance was most miserable". This review generated a letter of complaint to the paper soon afterwards suggesting that this was an "attack" on the band due to "wounded feelings". I wonder what the story was there?

A dearth of mentions during the 1860s and early 1870s suggests that the band fell into abeyance for a time. The fact that  special events in Largo were attended by brass bands from nearby places such as Largoward, Leven and Methil supports that theory. However, in 1876 the 'Largo Brass Band' provided the music at a flower show in St Andrews representing a possible come back but it was not until the 1880s that the band seem to have become more consistent and fully established. They were conducted by a Mr Williamson in the mid 1880s and were typically known as 'Largo Brass Band'. At this time, the band also benefited from coaching from Leven's bandmaster - Mr Adamson - in an attempt to get them onto the 'competition list'. Band contests were popular with many Fife bands being regularly involved in these.

In 1899 it was noted in the St Andrews Citizen (1 July) that the band had recently secured a "smart uniform" through funds raised by a prize draw and liberal aid from "shopkeepers and other friends". This suggests that they previously had no uniform and places the image at the top of this post perhaps closer to 1899 than 1890. This was the era when the band were leasing and using a space in the granary building at Largo Harbour as a band room.

For 17 years (from around 1890) the band had been conducted by Leven man Mr George Houison. He led them to the competition victories that gave them the name "Largo Prize Band" for a number of years. He may well be in the photograph above. However, Houison left for Ontario, Canada around the end of 1907 with several other members of his family, some of whom were also band members. The front page advert from the East of Fife Record (6 Sept 1907) details what must have been one of Houison's last engagements with the band.

The band was funded entirely by subscriptions with costs of around £60 per annum in 1908 (excluding repairs or new instruments). At this time it was noted that other bands in the area had "full-plated sets of instruments" and it was thought that Largo should too. A sum of around £200 would have to be raised to make that happen. A bazaar was proposed for the following summer​.

A Mr J Bisset took over the bandmaster role in 1908 was described as an "energetic and efficient teacher". This was quite possibly John Bisset later of Buckthorns Farm. At that time the band had a number of wealthy patrons and seemed to be in great demand. To advertise their 1909 summer bazaar, the band's secretary Thomas Graham Wishart had his motor car "gaily decorated and...driven round the district advertising the announcing the attractions of the bazaar". This must have been effective as around 700 people attended the event and soon afterwards the band became 'Largo Silver Band'.  Mr Bisset resigned early in 1912 as bandmaster and the position was advertised (see advert below from 10 Feb Fifeshire Advertiser). It was noted that attendances at practices were not good at that time and only a couple of concerts were mentioned in the local papers thereafter before the band took a break during the Great War. ​
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The band had resumed by 1921 and continued albeit with up and downs for many years after that. In 1929 the Leven Mail (19 June) reported that the "exodus of many young players from the district may force Largo Silver Band to break up" but by 1933 the same paper (8 March) stated that the band "now has the financial security to enlarge its scope". There was a simple bandstand on Massney Braes around the 1930s (see images below) where the band gave a popular summer programme of concerts. There was a period of disbandment during World War Two but the band were reported in the 19 June 1946 Leven Mail as playing at the Largo War Memorial. The leader at that time was another Mr Bisset. In this post-war period there was also a 'Largo Pipe Band'. Mention of either band seems to be absent from the newspaper archives after this time. If you know when the demise of the Largo Silver Band came about - please comment.
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